*In the second half

Likely one of the most anticipated games of the season: M3s vs M2s. Last season these two titans battled it out twice in some close quarter action, with one ending in a one-all draw, so all was to play for!

Neil was well prepped for the game with a pre-match Friday night Prana curry, knowing he was going again on Saturday with us. Curry King! - and a Lemon vote before he had even stepped on the pitch.

With some regulars scrounged from our line-up, the M2s started with fifteen! There was a clear sense of uneasiness from the M2s as they clearly had something to prove. Rumour in the M3s has it Jan gave them a brief in the changing room, encouraging them with a nod and a wink to, “Keep him on their side and they would do OK.” Whether he was looking for a bribe or a promotion to the M2s, I do not know. Probably both. Oh well, hopefully we would have one honest umpire to start the game…if Neil hadn't already given the other ump, JJ, a green card in the earlier M4 match.

A slightly lazy start from us meant the opposition attacked hard from the off, and the first five minutes felt like a bit of a battering. George made some good saves to keep us in the game. The back four woke up a little and we started to find our way through the somewhat solid opposition midfield. Our forwards worked hard with notable runs from Ash, Dan and Oli. We were looking as though we might slip one in on the counter, but no luck. George gave away a flick for, I quote, “The worst foul I have ever done.” Fortunately, he saved it in spectacular fashion, somewhat redeeming himself. Neil also plucked a cracking save from mid-air, but it wasn’t enough. By half time the M2s had banged in two well-worked goals.

A strong team talk from Matt K at half time and we were ready to show the boys in yellow we meant business. The second half was strongly contested from both sides with several dangerous attacks. Joe and Ash had a top 1-2-3 up the right, which looked promising but no such luck converting. There was an abundance of unsuccessful short corners in the second half, for both sides. One notable shorty was given to us by JJ, for what looked like the ball clattering into his own foot. Maybe this was to try and make up for Jan’s clear bias to the M2s - we almost definitely saw Coops slip him a bundle of notes at half time as well as a copy of next week's M2s' team sheet with his name already filled in - anyway we’d take it. We defended well with Dylan, Sev and Josh making some critical stops. Pip was relentless as ever throughout the game, pushing up and tracking back constantly. The game ended at a two-nil loss, but we showed the M2s that we weren’t an easy side to conquer and we’d be back to haunt them in the next match.

Neil got Lemon for a combination of his outstanding contribution to the Cambridge curry house network, carding one of the umpires before the game and “falling over lots”. MoM had a wide spread of votes, but George pipped it with a great all-round game, notably his save of the flick. Onwards and upwards boys, let’s have ‘em next time.